Online Articles
That One Red Spot
In the first decade of the nineteenth century, during the height of the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon Bonaparte was discussing strategy with his generals in his war room. In the middle of the room on a table was a huge map of Europe with Great Britain colored red. After an especially spirited discussion, Napoleon pointed to Great Britain on the map and shouted, “Were it not for that one red spot, I could conquer the world.”
Without too vivid an imagination I can picture Satan in his war room plotting the destruction of mankind and while pointing to the red stain in the center of his huge map of the world stating the same thing, “Were it not for that one red spot, I could conquer the world.” Instead of Great Britain, however, the red spot on his map is the blood of Christ.
As Christians it becomes easy to forget the function of the blood of Christ in our salvation. In spite of our remembering Christ’s death in the Lord’s Supper each Sunday (I Cor. 11:24-26) and our contact with his death when we obey the gospel (Rom. 6:3-4) often we can go days without remembering “that one red spot” and its essential role in ruining Satan’s plans for our condemnation.
We are, however, a blood-bought people, whither we properly remember it or not. In Ephesians 1:7 Paul writes
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
Redemption carries with it the idea of “being bought back” from spiritual slavery, which only the blood of Christ could do. Peter reiterates the same concept in I Peter 1:18-19
Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
In Romans 5:6-9 we are told
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Imagine being totally helpless, with no positive eternal prospects and Christ changes the entire picture by dying in our place, justifying us and saving us from our own impending doom, the “wrath of God.”
Let’s determine throughout the coming week to remember each day the blood of Christ and its unique saving power. Without it we were lost and helpless gazing into an open grave and the certainty of a Devil’s hell. Through it we have the blessed hope of redemption, justification, and salvation if we come in contact with His blood in obedient faith. I expect that Satan each day curses “that one red spot”. The least we can do is praise God daily for it.
